


Old Habits Die Hard

by calerine



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Food, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-13
Updated: 2011-11-13
Packaged: 2017-10-26 01:33:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/277101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/calerine/pseuds/calerine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are some constants in Aiba's life. Like Ohno and their weekly ramen dates.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Habits Die Hard

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jolene](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Jolene).



They do this every week.

Ramen in the shop hidden in the mazes of Central Tokyo. The shop’s sign is hidden by layers of shrubbery and ferns.

(Aiba remembers a conversation previously with the owner, about plants and the owner’s great love for botany. Half of that conversation involved English – or was it Latin? Aiba still cannot tell.)

Ohno used sit himself in the shadows, tucked away in the corners surrounded by old-fashioned wooden décor. Now after that _Shiyagare_ episode, Ohno prefers the counter, watches bright-eyed as his order is tenderly cooked.

Aiba does not mind the change of scenery; it is refreshing for him to do new things. That’s why he has tried everything on the menu at least five times each.

Ohno though, likes his constants. He likes the familiar and the owner, Sato-san knows. Every Wednesday, with the sunlight whispering between the cracks in the wooden walls, Ohno shuffles in and ten minutes later, his steaming bowl will be before him.

Ohno is late today. (His last filming had involved fish. Aiba supposes his late-coming is thus self-explanatory.) So Aiba pulls his tall chair from the counter, listens to the old wooden legs drag across the floor.

It is a little late for lunch. There is hardly anyone in the shop and Sato-san has the radio on. It crackles with voices and static that reminds Aiba of his mother cooking in the restaurant’s kitchen when he was younger.

“My dad is a cook too, you know,” Aiba informs, rather uselessly because he knows that he has told Sato-san before (and by now, there is hardly anyone in Japan who doesn’t know that he, Aiba Masaki, is the son of a cook).

“I know, Aiba-kun,” Sato-san laughs, formal suffix worn into something more affectionate after all these years.

Then the door to the shop dings quaintly, and Sato-san chuckles.

“You two come so regularly that I can tell you apart from the way the bell rings.”

Aiba laughs and tells Ohno so (in place of a greeting) as Ohno ducks under the hanging material behind the door.

Ohno looks tired, and Aiba pushes out his chair for him. Sato-san disappears into the kitchen. Aiba hums and taps Ohno’s knuckles with his chopsticks playfully while they wait.

“Nino keeps complaining I don’t want to go out with him,” Ohno comments absentmindedly. He does not take his hand away.

“Then go out with him!” Aiba laughs breathily. They have mentioned this before.

“I keep forgetting,” Ohno confesses and Aiba chuckles again.

“Why don’t you mail him now?”

“I think I left my phone at home,” Ohno considers the ceiling. “My pocket hasn’t vibrated for the whole day.”

Aiba watches the afternoon dust bunnies dancing and slides his chair out (without tripping, this time).

“You look very tired, Leader,” Aiba pats Ohno’s hair and winds his arms around him. “Every time I see you, your eyes seem like they’re carrying _randoseru_ s and you look like you are going to collapse – like a grandma’s boobs.”

Ohno leans into the embrace, grinning into Aiba’s chest. There is a strip of sunlight that lands across his eyes, so he shuts them, feels the comforting heat of the sun on his eyelids.

Sato-san comes out then, bearing Ohno’s _tonkatsu_ _ramen_ (laden with chilli and cloudy-eared mushrooms) and Aiba’s _Surprise!_ _ramen_.

“Eat more, eat more!” She pushes their bowls towards them. “Next time, bring that very skinny friend of yours. He looks like he would enjoy free meals.”

Aiba and Ohno laugh, clap hands together.

“ _Itadakimasu_!”


End file.
